Kids learn lessons from blind author

Twelve-year-old MacKenzie Clemonts wants to be a writer or a poet when she grows up. Last month, she got an unusual opportunity to hear a blind author explain how he did it.

MacKenzie and her 6th grade classmates at Bayless Intermediate School participated in a multi-state videoconference with author Jim Stovall. The Bayless students have been studying Stovall's book, "The Ultimate Gift."

The students are all in the language arts class of teacher Tim McAvin.

Mr. McAvin signed up with the videoconferencing opportunity from the Cooperating School Districts.

The videoconferencing linked the Bayless students with a group of 8th graders from Michigan who were studying the same book. The two classes even established an internet "blog" so they could critique each other's essays about the book.

MacKenzie Clemonts

Then, early in December, the two classes joined with students from two other schools on an hour-long videoconference with the author. Mr. Stovall answered their questions about his life, his books and his experience of going blind while in college.

He said, "If you want to be a great writer, be a good reader. Read lots of books." He said he reads a book a day now, using high-speed audiotapes.

Mr. Stovall said, before he went blind, he had never read a book all the way through. "I was going to be a pro football player," he said.

But, he said his sight began to deteriorate and he finally went blind while a student at Oklahoma University. He said, "At first, it was a disaster."

But, since then, he has become an author of 12 books, an investment broker and co-founder of Narrative Television Network. That's an information service for the blind.

The book, "The Ultimate Gift," tells the story of a grand-nephew of a rich man who gets, along with a big legacy, a series of explanations on 12 life situations. The 12 include friendship, giving, dreams, money, work, laughter, day, love, gratitude, problems, family and learning.

When one kid asked about his problems, Mr. Stovall said, "My blindness is no more of a problem than the ones you'll face in your life." His actions since his blindness indicate he actually has broadened the scope of his life.

(If you'd like to buy a copy of "The Ultimate Gift," from Amazon.com, click here.)

Edina Karahodzic

Twelve-year-old Edina Karahodzic said she was most interested in the chapter on work.

"I haven't had to work much. After I read about work in the book, I started to help my mother more around the house," Edina said. She said the willingness to work surprised her mother.

"I even cleaned my brother's room," she said.

Jessica Jackson

Twelve-year-old Jessica Jackson said she was interested in the friendship chapter. She said, "If you're without friends, you'd have nothing to do."

She said she learned how important it was to thank friends for good deeds.

Jessica said the 6th graders at Bayless Intermediate are going to write a long report on the videoconference. They'll then put it on the internet "blog" and share it with the 8th graders in Michigan.

Earlier, the kids in both schools posted essays they'd done about chapters in Mr. Stovall's book. Then, each kid was to critique the writing of an individual kid at the other school.

Jessica said she wrote about friendship but hasn't received her Michigan critique as yet.

(If you'd like to see what the Bayless kids and those in Michigan are writing, you can visit their "blog" at http://www.visitmyclass.com/blogs/ultimategift/)

During the videoconference, Mr. Stovall said a movie based on "The Ultimate Gift" will be released in 2006. He said actor Drew Fuller (from the WB show, "Charmed") will play Jason Stevens. He's the kid who got the "ultimate gift" lessons.

James Garner, a long-time movie and TV actor, is playing the rich uncle, Red Stevens, Mr. Stovall said.

He said he is also planning another book about life's lessons. "This one will be about what happens to Jason after his uncle's gift," Mr. Stovall said.

He said he'd also like to create a reality TV series where real people tell how they cope with life's lessons.

He said, if he were to add a chapter to "The Ultimate Gift," it would be about patience.